Grain conveyer



C. R. ADAMS GRAIN CONVEYER July 25, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 19, 1946 lz zvemor:

Char/e5 R. Hdozms C. R. ADAMS GRAIN CONVEYER July 25, 1950 '5 Sheets-Sheet.2

Filed Sept. 19, 1946 Char/e5 R. @aozms y 5, 1950 c. R. ADAMS 2,516,360

GRAIN CONVEYER Filed Sept. 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 In Yen for:

his [9296 Patented July 25, 1950 k GRAIN CONVEYER 7 Charles R. Adams, Donavon, Saskatchewan,

Canada Application September 19, 1945, Serial'No. ($91995 My invention relates to improvements in grain I conveyors, an object being to provide a device of 6 Claims. ,(Cl. 1981-91) j sentation of my intake'volume regulating assemthe character herewithin described which is mounted on a mobile platform particularly-suitable for use in the transference of grain from a circular reservoir into a granary, following the discharge of grain into said reservoir by gravity from a truck backed up over the edge thereof.

-A further object is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which, by including two independently swingable conveyors one of which overlaps the other, facilitates the use of conveyor trunks of the most efficient lengths, and wherein the delivery end of the overall conveyor may be raised or lowered without interfering with the intake end of the overall conveyor.

A further object is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which,'by the use of two independently swingable conveyors,

the degree of elevation of both may be kept well within efficiency limits. I

A further object is to provide in combination with a device of the character herewithin de-,

scribed by the use of which the intake end of the intake trunk will work itself down into grain Within a bin or granary during the transference thereof into a truck, more quickly than accord-e ing to conventional construction if the regulator,

plate as hereinafter described is open to substantially its maximum extent atthe beginning,

of the operation of such transfer.

A further object of my intake volume reg u lator is to facilitatethe cleaning up of a grain pile at the conclusion of the transference thereof, at which time myregulator plate ismoved into closed position thus forming a hopper or scuttle for the lower half of the intake end of the intake grain trunk into which the last particles of the grain mass may be shovelled quickly, conveniently, and with a minimum of effort.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this in- 1 vention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in'the arrangement andconstruction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my grain conveyor in the position it would assume during the reservoir into a granary.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my grain conveyor in the position it would assume during the transference of grain from a granary into a truck.

process of transferring grain from a low, circular Figure 3 is a plan detail illustrating one of" mytrunk elevating and sustaining booms.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary repre- Figure 5-is a section on the line 55 Figure 2." I Figure 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6---8v of Figure 4.-

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. I

In the loading of grain into a granary, greater efficiency is achieved at a smaller expenditure of effort if instead of transferring grain, truck load by truck load, directly into a granary, the

truck loads are simply deposited into a low and "preferably circular reservoir I over which the rear ends of the trucks will be backed prior to the lifting of the bottom end-gate. Following the lifting of the end-gate, the main body of grain within the truck will be deposited by gravity into the reservoir and that remainder which does not flow out'may be shoveled or swept out which is not a laborious operation in comparison with that of piling the residueinto a mound and manipulating the intake end of a truck-mounted conveyor trunk inand aroundthe pile.

It is to be understood however that the design of my conveyor is not such as to confine its use to the stepshereinabove set forth, and accordingly my invention will be seen to comprise a substantiallyrectangular platform 2 mounted on the pairs of wheels 3 and'4, the platform being of any desired construction such as that which I have illustrated and which comprises longitudi-" nal'channel members-5 which may be suitably decked across, transverse angle bars 6 intermedially of the platform, and if desired at the ends thereof.

Secured to the platform via the transverse angle bars 6 is a supporting standard collectively designated land seen to consist of a pair oftransversely spaced posts 8 in the form of channels, at the api'ces are plates 9 and I0.

Journalled in the plates 9 and'lll and spanning same-is acountershaft H, a discharge grain trunk'l2 being in turn journalled on the countershaft at the intake end 13 thereof and capable of vertical swinging movement therearound.

Additionally Journalled to countershaft II is a bracket l4 in the form of a yoke to which the spaced and overlapping, discharge end l5 of an intake grain trunk I6 is secured also capable of vertical swinging movement therearound. It is to be understood that said discharge end l5 of I trunk 16 is in overlapping registration with the" intake end I3 of trunk [2.

The intake and discharge ends l3 and [5 of the trunks 1'2 and iii respectively are housed about each with an elongated U-shaped mantle l1 and I8 "(the latter being inverted)-.- Extending trans versely within the aforesaid mantles are wall portions 19 and 20 to divide off the screw-conveyor actuating machinery from the flight of the said conveyor and the grain moving therealong.

Such machinery is best illustrated in the accompanying Figurei5 wherein it will be. seen that a bevelled pinion 2] is keyed to the countershaft I I and meshes with a bevelled crown-pinion 22 keyed to one end of the screw conveyor extending through trunk I 2, which end may of course be.

journalled in the wall portion 19. A similar arrangement exists in the adjacent overlapping end of trunk l5 wherein a similar bevelled pinion (not shown) is keyed to a stub-shaft 22- onthe external end of which is a driven pulley 23 rotated through the agency of belt 24 by pulley 25. Pulley 25 is keyed to one external end of countershaft' if, while, on the. other end thereof is a driving pulley 26 rotated by a power-source throughthe-agency of belts 121 and 28 which eni e pulleys 2 9 and '30 respectively, both said pulleys being keyed to the shaft 3| journalled in the hearings 32 011 posts. 8.

Journalled for vertical swinging movement on platform 2 against the longitudinal members .5 and-con eithersideof my platform as bisected by the standa-rd: i are booms 33 and :34 of the form clearly illustrated .in plan in thev accompanying Figure 3 and at the uppenor sweep ends whereof are mountedtrunk supporting rollers .35 designed tov move. on the longitudinally extending =reenforcing .trac-ksuas secured against the un-dersides of-trunks l2 and f6.

iJournalled-in the plates a and diandspanning thes'ame are windingsdrums 31 and :38 to which areconnected the cables 38 and 411,-which-cables are respectively secured to booms 34 and .33 via the eye-b olt '4 i.

The usual :pawl and ratchet assemblies 42 and 43 are associated with the aforesaid winding drums and positioned upon the. exteriorsideso-f plate to-to sustain either drum in any desired position. and the trunk and boom operated thereby atany desired degree of elevation through the agency of the associated tabla. Nly winding drums, it is to be understood, may be operated by a removable handle M.

In the accompanying Figures; and 7 I have. illustrated my intake volume regulating assembly for installation upon the intake: end of the intake. trunk 15, from which figures this structnrewill be seen to comprise a pair .of substantially diametrically opposed rails 45 positioned horizontally abreast and secured against the external surface of trunk Hi parallel with the axis thereof and projecting therebeyond to sustain in spaced relationship to the trunks-end- Mi end-shearing plate 4! in which the trunnion 4% of the screw conveyor 49 is journalled.

Also secured against the exterior surface of trunk 18 midway between and above'the rails 45 is a third rail 59 which similarly projects :as .described in connection with rails and is also secured to plate 47. "By reference to the phantom line5l in Figure 4, i'tisto'be understoodthat the lower half oftrunk H5 is out back or stepped to the extent indicated, and in external lapping relationship to the cut-back underside of said trunk is a semi-cylindrical volume regulating plate 52.

Plate 52 is provided with the flanges 53 upon the opposite parallel edges thereof, "and secured as'by welding to the flanges and spanning the concavity of plate 52 is a pair of spaced yokes 54. Atthe summit of each yoke is a set-screw 55 tightenable against rail 50, at which time it 4 clearly be perceived particularly by reference to Figure 6 that my plate 52 will be tightened or clamped via the flanges thereof against the under-flanks of the rails 45.

.From the foregoing it will be perceived that plate 52' may be slidably adjusted upon the pair of rails 45 and secured at any desired postion either to close fully the space '56 existing between the edge 5| and plate 41, or partially so. By widening the aperture 56 at the commencement of transference of a mass of the grain in a granary 51, I find that the conveyor 49 works itself into the massfaster, and obviously, in the clean- ,ing up operation, closing of the aperture 56 by sliding plate 52 along until it contacts plate 41 facilitates the clearing up'operation at which time plate 52 functions as a hopper or scuttle into which the remainder may simply be shovelledin-' stead ofbeing worked'into an increasingly smaller mound over which the trunk end must be manipulated and by which process the last particles cannot be picked up in any event.

For the purposes of orientation, I have indicated the rear end of a truck 58 in the accompanying Figure 2 inwhich position it will clearly be apparent that grain is being transferred from granary '51 through the intake trunk $5 to be precipitatedfromthe discharge port 59 therein into the intake port 60 of discharge trunks l2. From" the discharge port 6! of trunks i2 grain is pre ci'pitated into truck 58.

Since many modifications can be made "in the invention herein described andsince the accompanying drawings have :been prepared only to illustrate the relative arrangement and inter-.

action of parts and not with regard to accuracy ofdimensicns for manufacturing purposes which in view'ofthis disclosure Iconsider to entail mere- 1y mechanical skill together with the skill of the :mechanical. draitsman, and since many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made .within the spirit and scope of the. accompanying claims. without departing from such spirit and scope it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and on theunderlapping trunk, means for actuating said conveying assemblies simultaneously, and

means for swinging said trunks for the purpose specified.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which said means. for swinging said trunks consists of a pair of vertically swingable booms mounted upon said platform-each having a trunk-supporting roller on the sweep end thereof, and means for swinging said booms.

The device according to claim 1 in which said. means for swinging said trunks consists of a pair of vertically swingable booms journalled on said platform, each boom having a trunk support!- ing roller the sweep end thereof, and means for swinging eitherof said booms which comprises a winding on said standard, and 210310.518

anchored thereto, said cable being also connected to said boom.

4. The device according to claim 1 in which the means for swinging said trunks consists of a pair of vertically swingable booms each having a trunk-supporting roller on the sweep end thereof, said booms being journalled on said platform and upon either side of said standard, and a pair of winding drums on said standard, one of said drums having a cable connected thereto and to one of said booms, the other of said drums having a cable connected thereto and to the other of said booms for the swinging thereof and the consequent swinging of said trunks independently.

5. The device according to claim 1 in which the means for actuating said conveyor assemblies consists of a transverse counter-shaft journalled on said standard, said underlapping trunk being journalled on said shaft for the vertical swinging thereof as aforesaid, a drive wheel keyed to said shaft and operated from a power-source, a bracket journalled on said shaft and supporting said overlapping trunk in spaced relationship to said underlapping trunk, a stub-shaft on the adjacent end of said overlapping trunk, a driven wheel keyed thereto in driven connection with said drive wheel, and means actuated by said counter and stub shafts for operating the screw conveyors in said trunks.

6. A grain conveyor comprising in combination a supporting platform, a supporting standard mounted on said platform, said standard consisting of a pair of transversely spaced posts,the plane between said posts bisecting said platform into two parts, a counter-shaft spanning said posts and being journalled thereon, a discharge grain trunk journalled at the receiving end thereof on said counter shaft, a bracket in the form of a yoke spanning said trunk and being journalled on said counter shaft, an intake grain trunk secured at the discharge end thereof to said yoke in spaced, overlapping relationship with respect to the receiving end of said discharge grain trunk, a boom journalled for vertical swinging upon said platform on each of the said sides of said bisecting plane, a trunk supporting roller on the sweep end of each of said booms, a pair of winding drums journalled between said posts and below said trunks, each of said drums having a cable connected thereto and to one or other of said booms for swinging thereof as aforesaid.

CHARLES- R. ADAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date 880,826 Reistad Mar. 3, 1908 1,232,301 Harrington July 3, 1917 1,828,268 Wilkes Oct. 20, 1931 2,290,039 Ford July 14, 1942 2,325,833 Cook Aug. 3, 1943 

